Platform: Mac, Windows

There was this dame named Valerie, see, a dame with a sharp mind and great gams. This dame, she had ambitions, she wanted to be a reporter. All she needed was some juicy dirt and a good lead. Oh, and a job at a newspaper. And a boss that didn't just send her out to pick up his lunch. Welcome to Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal, a hidden object/adventure hybrid set in the roaring 20s. Designed by Game Brains, it's a tale of greed, lust, and power as seen through the eyes of novice reporter Valerie Porter. Everything begins with a rather gruesome murder of a starlet in a dingy alley next to a gin joint. Valerie arrives at the scene and wonders if a story she broke for the Daily Informer could have caused the tragedy.

There are 11 chapters and a prologue to this messy tale, each chapter containing multiple HOG scenes interspersed with a variety of mini-games. Navigate from place to place using a subway map while attempting to accumulate clues. There's lots of cut scenes and dialogue which can be skipped, but it's not advisable, as many of the mini-games depend on your recall of events that transpired during the chapter. Although there are no timers in the scenes (except for the 60 second subway challenges), you gain more points for finishing quickly and creating as many "chains" as possible.

Many hidden object scenes contain puzzles to solve as well as a fun dynamic: combos. In any HOG scene, if there is more than one item, say ten pieces of a letter or 17 dolls, you can click and drag from one to another to pick them up simultaneously in a "chain", which nets extra bonus points. Each HOG scene also includes five bells, a sort of extra scavenger hunt. Areas that need to be examined more closely or that can be manipulated will cause a blue question mark to appear above the cursor. Hints are on a refilling timer which can refill even faster with batteries, which the player can find in every HOG scene. Clicking on the name of an item in the list to be found will bring up a helpful silhouette of the object to aid in its recovery.

List items themselves are not always straightforward. Some lists contain actual item names, some lists merely contain clues, and some contain riddles. Find "an object for luck", or find "five flies that aren't flies" to add to the HOG fun. Although most dialogue passages are simple cut-scenes, there are areas where you will have to choose the correct question to get a suspect spilling their guts.

Adding to the challenge of some of the HOG scenes are the "footsteps of doom". In some locations Valerie is certainly where she shouldn't be, and if you hear footsteps you must turn of the light in the room and continue searching by flashlight, upping the difficulty in some areas. What happens if you don't turn out the lights? Well, Valerie gets caught and you have to start the whole scene over again.

Many of the mini-games between scenes are either word searches, "fill in the words" challenges, or "create the headline" challenges, all of which rely on the memory of the player. In the word searches, you will be presented with lists of words to find that relate to a section of the chapter. However, only the first words in the lists will show, forcing you to remember details about both HOG scenes and dialogue. Other mini-games involve assembling equipment, creating developer for the darkroom (with all the labels from the chemical bottles conveniently missing), and manipulating a classic old-style black and white enlarger to print evidence photos. All of the games are rather familiar, but the difficulty climbs nicely as the story progresses.

Analysis: The artwork of Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal is, for the most part, bright and photorealistic. HOG scenes are a bit cluttered but not terribly so. Not, perhaps, the most stunning or original artwork out there, but fun nevertheless as everything is done up in a fabulous art deco style, from the cursor to the menu and everything in-between. Clothing and locations also reflect the time period, as do the objects that you are finding. No anachronisms here! Period appropriate music and snappy dialogue (delivered with some fine voice acting) completes the illusion of being transported to a time when women were just joining the workforce, when organized crime owned most politicians, and when alcohol was illegal (but still widely consumed).

You can skip the dialogue sections, but you will find yourself at a disadvantage when you reach the end of a chapter and have to complete a "fill in the word" puzzle based on the chapter events. All of the mini-games are skippable, but that would lessen the enjoyment of the immersion. Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal lends itself well to casual gameplay, each chapter being pretty self-contained.

There are a few problems, however. The game is not as long as it could have been. As with most HOG/adventure hybrids on the market you are looking at perhaps 2-3 hours of gameplay. The click area for picking up objects is very tight, which can get a little frustrating when you are trying to pick up objects quickly. A few of the character portrayals — while perhaps accurate to the time period (or at least, accurate to movies of the time period) — border on stereotypical and even perhaps mildly offensive. The subject matter itself, corruption, infidelity, greed, murder, and suicide make the game perhaps not the best choice for younger players. The memory mini-games are a fun change from the ordinary, but they are pretty simple, and could have used some beefing up. On the plus side, extra effort was exerted to make the game playable for both the hearing impaired and those who like to play with the sound off. Places where audio clues are vital also have visual cues so that nothing is missed.

Wander back to a time when men were guys and women were dolls, when gin joints and speakeasies were the happening places to be, and when an intrepid girl reporter could really make a difference.

There is no time limit, except one hog-scene per chapter. If you fail with this, you will get less points, but you do not have to do it again.

There is a point system - as faster you finish a scene as more points you get, but playing in your own pace will not be punished in any way and has no influence on the games process.

You can restart every location as long as you are still in it. After you finished it, there is no way back - except you will have to go there again later in the game.

The "Recap" button allows you to look up, what you have discovered so far.

Sometimes you will have to choose on the map, where to go now, sometimes you will be brought to the next location automatically. When you find your map with more than one location to choose from, you can go where ever you want. Just make sure, that the newsroom, where you write your articles, is the last location you choose.

Not all objects are simply named, sometimes you will get hints as "a sour fruit" (lemon) or "something to scrub the sign" (brush).

Objects you find with numbers behind can (but do not have to) be chained. Keep your left mouse button pressed and drag your mouse from one object to the next. As more objects you chain, as more points you get. Each chained object will bring more points than a single one.

Beside the points, a chain-action refills your hint more quickly.

The light bulb low left corner is one of your to ways to get a hint.

The hint is endless but needs some time to refill.

There are two options to reload the bulb more quickly: Chain same of the kind objects and find batteries.

Two batteries can be found in each scene. Collect them and they will be added to the number you see below your hint light bulb. When you need a hint, but the bulb isn't filled, click the numbers and the light bulb will be recharged at once.

Coming back to a location the second time (or more), you will have two batteries again, hidden at another place.

Batteries can be taken into the next location, but not into the next chapter. You will start each chapter with no batteries.

Not used batteries will be rewarded with bonus points at the end of a chapter.

Collect the batteries latest before you click your last object.

Clicking one of the items in the search list will show you the silhouette in the glass ball right next to the hint - light bulb.

There is no recharging time, you can do this as often as you want.

Items on your search list written in red are hidden. You will need to use an inventory item to find them.

Hovering over the scene with your mouse, you will sometimes see a question mark. This are the places you need to use an inventory item.

Click the "Inventory" tab at the bottom of your screen and choose the wanted item. Click it at the place with the question mark. When it is the right item, you will see a exclamation mark. If there is still a question mark, you are using the wrong item.

Most of the inventory items are used in the same scene you find them.

Mini-games can be skipped by using the skip button. It will need a moment to charge.

To skip a mini game will cost you a few point from your overall score but there is no further punishment.

You can also skip the dialogs, but this might be a bad idea, as you will need the informations for some of the mini games. Skipping the dialogs will might make you need to skip some of the mini games.

The game has an auto save function, but mini games will have a reset and you have to play them again, when you leave the game in the middle of a mini-game.

Each scene (not location) hides 5 bells.

Bells can be shown as church bells, service bells, drawings, door bells, jingle bells and every other kind of bell.

Finding 50 bells will be rewarded with a medal as well as all 100 medals.

When you find all five bells the first time, you come to a location, you will not have new bells when you visit that place the second time.

When you did not find all the first time, the remaining bells will still be there, when you return.

But as you do not know, if you return to a location, it is good to collect them all first time.

You will need to do this before you collect your last item from your search list, as the scene will close as soon this one is found, no matter if you found all bells (or batteries).

Search objects are not random - they are shown in the screenshots together with the bells and the batteries.

The Mini-Games

There are six mini-games, you will all have to play more often. They will get harder with the time.

Persuasion tactic puzzle - You will need the right answer for the conversation to go on. Follow the line from the word "Correct" on the right to the sentence on the left. Click the sentence.

Search the words puzzle - while playing you found information by searching, puzzle or conversations. Your goal is it to find the right words for the umbrella terms on the left. Click the first letter of the word you found, keep the mouse button pressed and click the last letter of your word. When you are right, you will see it on the left.

Writing articles - On the left, Valerie starts writing the article about the found informations in the played chapter. You will have to fill in some words - a choose list you find on the right. Click one of the words and it will appear in the article. After finishing the article you will see it complete. Green words mean you did everything right, red words are at the wrong place - click to remove and replace them.

Headline puzzle - To make a head line, place the letters in the correct place. Right placed letters will turn dark and lock. You can place letters in any order. Duplicate letters can be used in any spot, there is no order.

Darkroom puzzle - You will need to have a solution with ph-value 7. The upper number is the ph-value the solution has right now. You will have to fill liquid from the bottles at the right into it, to get the correct ph-value. The problem is, that most of the labels have been fallen off. So you will have to try out and see what the liquid does. If you have a ph-value 10 and pour liquid in and the ph-value changes to 12, you know that bottle adds 2 to the ph-value. Best way is to click the label at the bottle, so you will know, what it does. Try out, till you find the combination to get ph-value 7.

Focus the picture - You have two layers of a photo and want to match it by using the arrows at the right side. When you have the picture set up perfectly, an arrow will appear on the left point to the exposure button. Until that arrow appears, you can't press the button.

For the Screenshots: Clocks are marked with a green square, batteries with a yellow and inventory items with a red square. As the objects are not random, they are also marked with yellow circles.

Prologue/Tutorial

Crime Scene

To find the correct answer follow the line from the word "Correct" on the right to the sentence on the left.

7 Comments

There is no time limit, except one hog-scene per chapter. If you fail with this, you will get less points, but you do not have to do it again.

There is a point system - as faster you finish a scene as more points you get, but playing in your own pace will not be punished in any way and has no influence on the games process.

You can restart every location as long as you are still in it. After you finished it, there is no way back - except you will have to go there again later in the game.

The "Recap" button allows you to look up, what you have discovered so far.

Sometimes you will have to choose on the map, where to go now, sometimes you will be brought to the next location automatically. When you find your map with more than one location to choose from, you can go where ever you want. Just make sure, that the newsroom, where you write your articles, is the last location you choose.

Not all objects are simply named, sometimes you will get hints as "a sour fruit" (lemon) or "something to scrub the sign" (brush).

Objects you find with numbers behind can (but do not have to) be chained. Keep your left mouse button pressed and drag your mouse from one object to the next. As more objects you chain, as more points you get. Each chained object will bring more points than a single one.

Beside the points, a chain-action refills your hint more quickly.

The light bulb low left corner is one of your to ways to get a hint.

The hint is endless but needs some time to refill.

There are two options to reload the bulb more quickly: Chain same of the kind objects and find batteries.

Two batteries can be found in each scene. Collect them and they will be added to the number you see below your hint light bulb. When you need a hint, but the bulb isn't filled, click the numbers and the light bulb will be recharged at once.

Coming back to a location the second time (or more), you will have two batteries again, hidden at another place.

Batteries can be taken into the next location, but not into the next chapter. You will start each chapter with no batteries.

Not used batteries will be rewarded with bonus points at the end of a chapter.

Collect the batteries latest before you click your last object.

Clicking one of the items in the search list will show you the silhouette in the glass ball right next to the hint - light bulb.

There is no recharging time, you can do this as often as you want.

Items on your search list written in red are hidden. You will need to use an inventory item to find them.

Hovering over the scene with your mouse, you will sometimes see a question mark. This are the places you need to use an inventory item.

Click the "Inventory" tab at the bottom of your screen and choose the wanted item. Click it at the place with the question mark. When it is the right item, you will see a exclamation mark. If there is still a question mark, you are using the wrong item.

Most of the inventory items are used in the same scene you find them.

Mini-games can be skipped by using the skip button. It will need a moment to charge.

To skip a mini game will cost you a few point from your overall score but there is no further punishment.

You can also skip the dialogs, but this might be a bad idea, as you will need the informations for some of the mini games. Skipping the dialogs will might make you need to skip some of the mini games.

The game has an auto save function, but mini games will have a reset and you have to play them again, when you leave the game in the middle of a mini-game.

Each scene (not location) hides 5 bells.

Bells can be shown as church bells, service bells, drawings, door bells, jingle bells and every other kind of bell.

Finding 50 bells will be rewarded with a medal as well as all 100 medals.

When you find all five bells the first time, you come to a location, you will not have new bells when you visit that place the second time.

When you did not find all the first time, the remaining bells will still be there, when you return.

But as you do not know, if you return to a location, it is good to collect them all first time.

You will need to do this before you collect your last item from your search list, as the scene will close as soon this one is found, no matter if you found all bells (or batteries).

Search objects are not random - they are shown in the screenshots together with the bells and the batteries.

The Mini-Games

There are six mini-games, you will all have to play more often. They will get harder with the time.

Persuasion tactic puzzle - You will need the right answer for the conversation to go on. Follow the line from the word "Correct" on the right to the sentence on the left. Click the sentence.

Search the words puzzle - while playing you found information by searching, puzzle or conversations. Your goal is it to find the right words for the umbrella terms on the left. Click the first letter of the word you found, keep the mouse button pressed and click the last letter of your word. When you are right, you will see it on the left.

Writing articles - On the left, Valerie starts writing the article about the found informations in the played chapter. You will have to fill in some words - a choose list you find on the right. Click one of the words and it will appear in the article. After finishing the article you will see it complete. Green words mean you did everything right, red words are at the wrong place - click to remove and replace them.

Headline puzzle - To make a head line, place the letters in the correct place. Right placed letters will turn dark and lock. You can place letters in any order. Duplicate letters can be used in any spot, there is no order.

Darkroom puzzle - You will need to have a solution with ph-value 7. The upper number is the ph-value the solution has right now. You will have to fill liquid from the bottles at the right into it, to get the correct ph-value. The problem is, that most of the labels have been fallen off. So you will have to try out and see what the liquid does. If you have a ph-value 10 and pour liquid in and the ph-value changes to 12, you know that bottle adds 2 to the ph-value. Best way is to click the label at the bottle, so you will know, what it does. Try out, till you find the combination to get ph-value 7.

Focus the picture - You have two layers of a photo and want to match it by using the arrows at the right side. When you have the picture set up perfectly, an arrow will appear on the left point to the exposure button. Until that arrow appears, you can't press the button.

For the Screenshots: Clocks are marked with a green square, batteries with a yellow and inventory items with a red square. As the objects are not random, they are also marked with yellow circles.

Prologue/Tutorial

Crime Scene

To find the correct answer follow the line from the word "Correct" on the right to the sentence on the left.

Thanks for the kind words. We work very hard at being extraordinary. But no, in fact, we most definitely do not review every hidden object game that comes out, there are other sites that do that. We just review the good ones.

There is a huge audience (ourselves included) that enjoys good hidden object games.

If a game isn't for you, then please just move along to the next one. Not every game will appeal to everybody. I don't like RPGs, but I certainly don't object to a good one being reviewed when one comes along.

@srsly & Aureza: maybe the problem is you two are just on the site way too often. heheh ;)

It does boggle my mind, though, that there's this class of artist who somehow paints tons of suuuper detailed pictures very quickly. Like some kind of Bob Ross of the video game industry. The difference being that his happy trees are hidden.

Where does he come from? How does he do it? Questions with no answers..

I liked this game. Somehow, it all felt right, the artwork, the story, minigames, the overall difficulty, even voice acting. It took me much longer then 3 hours, perhaps because I did enjoy playing it and was not skipping anything.

Only thing that annoyed me was the 1 missing bell and I did not know from which scene it was missing. Other then that, very good game.

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